Who Says Chivalry Is Dead?
by beachchick4
Summary: Sydney suddenly finds herself stalked by a mysterious man with mysterious intentions. Gage comes to her rescue, but will he be enough to save her this time?
1. Preview

One day, Syd and Gage bust some guys at a bar. A guy at the bar sees Sydney, . . . and wants her. Suddenly, Sydney has a stalker, with no idea who it is. And suddenly, Syd needs a night in shining armor. Who other than Gage? But who will win? Chivalry? Or will the opposing team win the prize this time???

COMING SOON!!!!!!

_Note From Author: I might put up the first chapter tonight, we'll see!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Note From Author: Yes, I am aware that this a very short chapter. But don't worry! The chapters will get longer, it's just that my beginning ones are usually short from lack of inspiration. And just FWI, this story won't contain any intense rape scenes. On my other story (What If) that I'm currently working on it has one that I had help writing from one of my friends, this time, she is so not helping me! Please review, tell me what you think! Any suggestions, ideas, critics? And one more thing, this story is in no way at all related to my other story, What If. Please review!_

"Gage, Sydney?" Walker called to the two rangers from his desk.

"Yah Walker?" Gage answered.

"I need you to take down a couple drug dealers at the Roseglam bar. Here are your warrants."

"We're on it." Sydney smiled.

When Syd and Gage got to the bar Gage asked,

"You all set Shorty?"

Sydney playfully punched Gage's arm and said,

"I swear Gage! If you call me Shorty one more time you won't be set to go anywhere beyond the hospital for the next three months!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Gage answered as they stepped out of the car.

They walked into the bar and the manager asked them,

"Would you two rangers like a drink now? I certainly hope that's why you're here, 'cause I don't need no trouble. Business had been rough lately. And I don't need a couple of rangers scaring of my customers."

"Well," Gage said, "if your customers obey all the laws then shouldn't have anything to be scared of."

The manager just grumbled and asked, "Look rangers, do you want something? 'Cause otherwise ya'll best be on yer way."

"Actually we do want something." Sydney said.

The manager looked at Sydney and asked, "And what might that be babe?"

Gage chuckled quietly, knowing that Syd wasn't going to like being called "babe" very much.

Syd said, "Well first of all, I'd like for you to never, ever, call me babe again unless you want a black eye. Secondly we're looking for these men, have you seen them around?"

Sydney showed him the pictures of the men and suddenly paniced and yelled, "Rangers! Run for it!"

Instantly about ten men lept from their seats and raced towards the back exit. Sydney and Gage raced after them. The fight was hard, but Syd and Gage were winning. Towards the end Sydney yelled at the manager who was trying to escape through a window,

"This is for calling me babe!"

She then punched him and knocked him out cold.

As Gage and her were handcuffing all of the men and leading them outside, neither Gage nor Syd noticed that a mysterious man with an evil smile was staring at Sydney the entire time . . .


	3. Chapter 2

_Note From The Author: Wow! Two chapters in one night! You guys are really lucky! Either I'm in a really creative mood, or I'm extremely bored! But I suppose it's the least I can do, considering this one and the first one are so short! Please review!_

At CD's

"You should have seen the look on your face when that guy called you babe!" Gage laughed at Sydney.

Walker, Alex, Trivette, and C.D. laughed along while Sydney pretended to pout.

"Oh yah," Sydney challenged, "well you should have seen the look on his face when I punched him, it just never gets old!"

They all laughed again and then the phone rang,

"I'll be right back." said C.D.

When he came back he said,

"Sydney, it's for you. He wouldn't tell me his name though, does Sydney have a boyfriend?"

They all laughed again but this time Syd said in all seriousness,

"Not in this lifetime!"

Sydney walked to the back room to take the call, wondering who it could be. She picked up the phone and said,

"Hello?"

But all Sydney could hear was deep, slow breathing. She felt the chills go up her spine and asked again,

"Hello? Is someone there? Listen, I'm really not in the mood for a prank call right now so if you have something to say, say it."

"Hello Ranger Cooke." said the voice on the telephone.

"And who might this be?" Sydney asked impatiently.

"All in good time my dear, all in good time."

Sydney almost dropped the phone, "my dear"?!

"If you don't tell me who this is and what you want right now I'm hanging up the phone."

"Who am I? You could say I'm, . . . a secret admirer of sorts. And what do I want? I want you Ms. Cooke, or may I call you Sydney?"

"No you may not call me Sydney! Now you listen hear buddy, I'm a Texas Ranger and if I ever get a call from you again I'm going to trace the call, got it?"

But the line had already gone dead. Sydney walked back out front in confusion. She knew it had only been a prank call from some dumb kid or something, but she had this bad feeling that something wasn't quite right. When she sat back down Alex asked,

"Who was it?"

"Oh nothing, just some prank call." Sydney answered.

In a few minutes they were all laughing again and the call was forgotten. But Syd just couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her . . .


	4. Chapter 3

Sydney sat at her desk going through some paperwork, it was a slow day. Nothing was going on, so Syd decided to use her free time to file some papers she had been meaning to get to. But she was still bored out of her mind!

Sydney had completely forgotten about the phone call a few nights ago, she had figured that it was just some prank. And that weird feeling she got was probably just her being paranoid. Just then Walker and Trivette returned from their lunch break.

"Where's Gage?" Sydney asked, remembering that he had gone with them.

"He's still eating." Walker chuckled softly.

Sydney laughed, Gage somehow managed to eat ten times the average person and not gain a single pound. His stomach was a bottemless pit.

Suddenly the phone as Syd's desk rang, "Thank God," she thought, "maybe I'll get to go somewhere. I'm dying for some action."

Sydney picked up the phone and said, "Cooke."

But once again, all she could hear was the slow breathing on the other end. Sydney tensed up and Walker, being Walker, seemed to notice. He looked up at Sydney in concern, waiting to hear what Sydney would say.

"How'd you get this number?" Sydney asked angrily.

"I have my sources." the voice said.

"What do you want?!" Sydney asked.

"I've already told you what I want, you."

By this time Trivette had noticed Sydney's strange behavior and was looking at her curiously. Sydney quickly scribbled on a notepad, "Trace the call!" and handed it to Trivette. He silently nodded and went to work at his computer immediately.

"What do you mean you want me?" Sydney asked, trying to keep the man on the line so that Jimmy could get a trace.

"What do you think I mean? Look in the mirror and maybe you'll understand."

"I don't know who you are but you had better stop calling me or I'll have you arrested."

"Not if I get to you first."

"Who are you!"

"You'll find out soon enough babe, I promise."

Sydney felt clenched her fist to stop herself from yelling at him for calling her babe.

"Do you really want to be put away for threatening and harassing a federal officer?"

But once again, the line had gone dead. Sydney sighed and put down the phone.

"Any luck?" she asked Trivette hopefully.

Trivette shook his head, "Sorry, there was something wrong with the signal. It was bouncing all over the place! I couldn't seem to get a lock on it."

"Syd," Walker asked, "who was that and what did he want?"

"I don't know who he was Walker," Sydney sighed, "but he's the same guy who called me at C.D.'s a few nights ago. I thought it was just a prank call then. But I think this guy is for real."

"Did he say what he wants?" Walker asked.

"He said he wanted, well, he said he wanted me." Syd replied awkwardly.

"What do you mean he wanted you?" Trivette asked in confusion, "Does he want revenge or something?"

Sydney blushed, "Well, uh, no, I don't think so. He kind of wanted me, as in, well he wanted to, um . . ."

Walker came to her aid and whispered something in Trivette's ear. Then it was Trivette's turn to blush.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "Ohh! Oh, you mean he wanted you like that. Like, well, uh. I know what you mean. I, ah, never mind."

Sydney chuckled slightly as she shook her head, this was the problem being one of the few woman rangers.

Just then Gage returned.

"Hey guys!" he said cheerfully, then, seeing everyone's grim expressions he asked, "So . . . what I miss?"

"We believe that someone might be stalking might be stalking Sydney." Walker stated.

"What?" Gage asked, shocked.

"It's no big deal." Sydney said calmly, ignoring how worried she was.

"What do you mean it is isn't a big deal?! This guy could be dangerous! Who is he anyway? Some guy you put away? Does he want revenge?" Gage asked.

Sydney blushed, not again!

"I don't know who he is." she answered.

"Did he say what he wants?" he asked.

"He umm, kind well, he wants me, if you know what I mean."

"Syd, quit talking in riddles."

Sydney smiled pleadingly at Walker and Walker laughed, Gage could be a little slow at times.

"Gage," Walker said, "remember that case last month with the two women?"

"Yeah," Gage said, "but what does that have to do with this? Wasn't that the case with the ra . . . OH! Oh, I get it! You mean he wants you like that, he well um, yeah, ok, this makes more sense now."

"How many times has he called you?" Trivette asked Sydney.

"This was only the second time, relax guys, it's probably nothing." Sydney answered trying to relax them. She could see the worry and protectiveness on their faces. It was like she had three older, overprotective, tough brothers instead of three coworkers.

"Okay Sydney," Walker reasoned, "but if he calls you again or approaches you, you'll be sure to tell us right away?"

"Yes Walker." Sydney answered.

As Sydney began to walk out of the office Walker said,

"Oh Sydney, and please be careful."

Sydney promised him she would and walked out of the office with an uneasy feeling . . .


	5. Chapter 4

_Note From Author: I need reviews or else I won't post a new chapter!!!_

Sydney stood in front of the stove at her apartment, making dinner. She was putting in extra effort to keep her mind off the stalker. Part of her reasoned that he was probably just a prankster, and that even if he was real she could take him down in a second. But another part of her was terrified. She had seen rape victims before and it never ended well, she didn't want to join them.

Just then, the phone rang. Sydney approached it cautiously, wondering if it would be her mysterious caller again, she picked up the phone, bit her lip, and said, "Hello?"

"Syd? It's me, Gage."

Sydney sighed a breath of relief, and then surprise. Why was Gage calling her?

"Hey Gage, what's up?" she replied.

"Just saying hello." he rplied a little too cheerfully.

"Gage, seriously, why are you calling?"

She heard him sigh in defeat, "I just wanted to check up on you, with that guy out there . . . I just want to be careful."

Sydney almost burst out laughing, "Gage, I appreciate you making sure I'm okay, but really, I can take care of myself."

"I know that Sydney, but you never know what could happen. He could take you by surprise."

"You mean like I did to you yesterday at the gym?" Sydney laughed.

Yesterday they had been working out at the gym and Gage had called he "Shorty" again, that meant revenge. Right when Gage was getting up to head the locker rooms, she attacked him from behind playfully. But nether the less, Gage still had his bruise.

"Ha ha, Syd, very funny." Gage said, "You owe me for that one! I'm still sore!"

Sydney laughed, "Oh, poor baby!"

"Yah, yah, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, kay?"

"See ya then." Sydney hung up the phone and went back to making dinner, this time with a smile on her face. Less than a minute later the phone rang again, "Oh Gage," Sydney thought chuckling, "I hope you haven't become my own personal babysitter."

"Hey Gage," Syd said when she answered the phone, "what did you forget to tell me."

"Gage," said her stalker, "he's your partner I believe. Perhaps I could be your partner in another form of . . . business."

Sydney stiffened but remained strong, "You sicko! Quit calling here! Think of it this way, every phone call you make to me is another year in prison. Got it?"

"Oh Sydney," the voice moaned, "you sound so sexy when you're angry."

"Why you son of a . . ." Sydney yelled.

"Now, now," tisked the man, "let's not get your blood pressure up. And by the way, I love your red shirt today."

Sydney began to sweat, "How do you know what I'm wearing?"

"Ah, my love, that is the least of what I know. I know that at this very moment you're biting your lip, you were just making dinner, pasta if I'm not mistaken, and you just got off the phone with Ranger Gage. You're standing right next to the kitchen table. Am I correct?"

He was, he was absolutely, positively correct. Even about the pasta. Sydney turned around, looking for the man. She heard the voice laugh,

"My dear Sydney, I am not here. But I could be if you wanted me to."

"Not in this lifetime!" Sydney yelled. "He must have planted cameras in my apartment." Sydney thought.

"I wouldn't bet on that." the man said. The line then went dead.

Sydney, shaking, realized she wouldn't be able to spend the night in her apartment. The thought of him watching her every move, watching her dress . . .

With nervous finger she dialed Gage's number . . .


	6. Chapter 5

Sydney dialed Gage's digits, holding the phone in one hand and packing an overnight bag in another. She hoped Gage wouldn't mind her staying over. She anxiously waited for him to pick up, not even realizing that she was holding her breath.

"Hello?" Gage answered.

Syd sighed in relief and then regained quickly her composure.

"Hey Gage, it's Syd."

He sounded surprised, "Oh, hi Sydney. What? You couldn't get enough of me?!"

Sydney tried to laugh but it came out more like choking,

"Uh, not exactly. You see, I,"

Gage cut her off, realizing that something wasn't right, "Are you okay Syd? What happened?"

"He called me," Sydney answered, "right after you called. I think he's planted some bugs in my apartment, he knew what I was wearing and where I was standing. Listen, I was wondering if . . ."

Gage interjected again, "Of course Sydney, you can stay here. Get over here right away, he might be closer than you think. Wait, no, I'll come get you."

"Gage, really, I can drive." Sydney argued.

"What if he's waiting outside?" Gage challenged.

"The longer I stay here the more danger I'm in." Syd reasoned.

"Well, oh, all right. But Syd, please be careful."

"I will, bye."

"Bye."

Sydney finished packing and drove to Gage's apartment. When Gage opened the door he sighed a breath of relief.

"Hi Sydney, I called Walker and told him what happened." he said.

"Thanks." Sydney said as she walked into the apartment.

"Have you already eaten?" Gage asked.

"No, actually." she answered apologetically.

"Okay, I've already eaten but I'll whip you up something."

Sydney started to laugh, "Gage, you can't cook more than toast! No offense. I'll just make something quick for myself."

After she ate she sat down on the couch next to Gage.

"So," he asked awkwardly, "how many times has this guy called you?"

"This was the third time." Sydney answered, "But what I don't get is why this guy is putting so much effort in? I mean, if this was just a regular rapist of something he wouldn't call me several times and take the time to plant cameras in my apartment. He would just get me alone as soon as possible and commit his crime. There must be something else going on."

Gage nodded in agreement, but neither of them could come up with any answers. It started to get late and they decided to go to bed.

"You can have the bed," Gage offered, "I'll take the couch."

"Oh no," Sydney said, "I couldn't put you out of your bed. I feel bad enough as it is."

"No really, it's fine. It's the least I can do." he insisted.

"Well, . . . if you're sure."

"Positive."

Sydney settled into Gage's bed while he took the couch.

It didn't take long for her to fall into a much needed sleep . . .

Sydney awoke to quiet noise. She looked over at the clock, 3 AM. Before she was able to see what awakened her a hand was thrown over her mouth. She was still half asleep and caught by surprise. But after a few moments of shock her ranger instincts kicked in. She kicked her unknown attacker and flipped him over. But he was up in a moment, he through her a punch and she went flying backwards. "Gage!" she called.

Syd and her attacker continued to fight, "Syd?" she heard a sleepy Gage call out. "Gage," she shouted, "quick!"

"Sydney!" Gage called, this time more alert.

Distracted by Gage's call she got tackled by her attacker.

"Syd, unlock the door!" Gage yelled.

But Sydney didn't remember ever locking the door . . .

They continued to fight and Sydney seemed to be winning. Her attacker, sensing it was a lost cause, tried to make an escape out the open window. Sydney had never opened the window . . .

She grabbed the man by his foot trying to drag him back.

Gage knocked down the door and cried, "Syd, are you okay?"

Sydney, surprise, turned her head to look at Gage. But this gave the attacker and advantage. He kicked her in the face and she let go of his leg as she fell back. He scrambled out the window as Gage raced towards Sydney.

"Syd?!" he cried worriedly, "are you all right?!"

"I'm fine," Sydney answered, "just get him!" as she pointed to the window.

Gage ran to window, but in vain. The man had disappeared.

Gage turned on the lights and helped Sydney up.

"Uh oh." he said after looking at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Looks like you're going to have a black eye tomorrow."

Sydney looked in the mirror, he was right. Her right eye was red and swelling. She put some ice on it as Gage asked,

"How did he get in here?"

"I'm not sure," Syd answered, "I woke up and he was there. He probably came in from the window. By the way . . . sorry about your door."

When Gage knocked down the door he had succeeded in putting in some very serious damage.

Gage shrugged, "It's okay, I'm just glad you're safe.

"Do you think it was my mysterious caller?" she asked.

"Who else?" Gage reasoned.

When Sydney went back to bed Gage pulled up a chair in the room and sat in it.

"What are you doing?" Sydney asked.

"I don't to risk leaving you alone in here, he might return." he answered.

"Gage, I seriously doubt he'd come back tonight."

But Gage refused to budge. So Sydney fell asleep with the alert eyes of her khight in shining armor looking after her.


	7. Chapter 6

_Note From Author: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Sydney and Gage walked into the office. They were going to tell Trivette and Walker what had happened last night, things were going too far and action needed to be taken about this stalker person.

"Hi Sydney, Gage." Walker said.

"Walker," Gage said, "something else happened last night."

Walker and Trivette looked up as Sydney took a step closer, they both gasped when they saw her black eye.

"Sydney! Oh my God, are you all right?" Trivette asked in concern.

"I'm fine." Sydney answered.

"What happened?!" Walker asked.

"Last night when I was staying at Gage's my stalker got in through the window and attacked me. We're both fine, but he escaped."

"Sydney, is there anyone you remember who might hold a grudge against you or well, um, hit on you aggressively, if you know what I mean?" Walker asked.

Sydney thought a moment, "No, there's no one I can think of . . . except . . ."

"Except who?" Gage asked.

"I'm not sure," Syd answered, "I feel like I'm forgetting someone important but I just can't remember who!"

"That's okay Syd." Trivette said.

"Sydney?" Walker said.

"Yes Walker?" she responded.

"I know you're not going to like this, but . . ."

"But what?"

"But I think you should consider going into hiding." Walker continued.

"What?!" Sydney yelled.

"Only for a little while, we'd put you in the safe house. Really, it wouldn't be that bad!"

"No, no way!"

"Sydney," Trivette said, "he may be right. This guy is getting more and more aggressive. It isn't safe for you, not here, not at your house, not a Gage's house, not at C.D.'s. Going into hiding may be your only option right now."

"Guys," Sydney gaped, "I'm not like any other victim. I'm a Texas ranger for crying out loud!"

"We know Syd," said Gage, trying to come her down, "but it's for you own good."

"I refuse to." Sydney said stubbornly.

"Fine," Walker compromised, "but you'll have to stay at the ranch with Alex and me and you'll have to have a tracker on you."

Sydney almost argued back, but then realized that Walker wasn't going to change his mind, "Fine." she mumbled.

"Good." Walker said, pleased.

"I'm going to go get some coffee." Sydney mumbled grumpily.

As she stomped out of the office she heard Gage cry after her, "Sydney, wait up!"

Out in the hallway, Gage caught up with her.

"What is it Gage?"

"I have my own deal to make with you." he answered while grinning.

"Oh great." she muttered.

"Shorty," Gage said more softly this time, "I'm serious. This guy could be anywhere and could get you anytime. I think you should have a body guard."

"Not happening." Sydney said as she began to walk away.

"Shorty, wait!" Gage cried.

Sydney turned around and mumbled quietly, "Quit calling me Shorty."

"Please Syd," Gage practically begged, "you won't even consider having a bodyguard?"

"No," she answered, "I don't need one."

"Fine." Gage said, "Then just consider me your own personal babysitter."

Sydney groaned, "Gage, I can take care of myself."

"Come on," he said, "you'll thank me later."

Sydney rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"I swear, nothing will happen to you on my watch!" he promised.

"Look," Syd said, "I'm not some damsel in distress you can rescue. Besides, chivalry is dead in case you haven't noticed."

"Who said chivalry is dead?" Gage asked..

"I did." Sydney answered.

"Well, it's not. I'm living proof."

Sydney laughed, "Trust me Gage, it is. Which is why I have learned to take care of myself and why I don't need a babysitter."

Gage then said seriously, "I swear Shorty, if it's the last thing I do, I'll prove to you chivalry isn't dead."

"I highly doubt that . . . Francis."

"Hey!" he yelled.

Sydney laughed, "I'll be right back. I left my coffee in the car."

She put up her hand to stop her from coming with her, "I'll be right back." she promised.

Sydney headed down towards the parking lot . . .


	8. Chapter 7

Sydney walked towards the parking lot to get her coffee.

"I can't believe how much everyone is overreacting about this." Sydney thought.

She unlocked the car and bent in to grab her coffee when suddenly something hit her hard over the head. She fell forward into the car and luckily landed on the steering wheel, causing the car to beep.

"What the?!" Sydney yelled. She turned around to find herself face to face with a masked man. She tried to get up but he pushed her back into the car. She kicked him in the shin and he yelled out in pain.

"I know that voice . . ." Sydney thought as he yelled.

She got out the car and kicked and punched him as she yelled, "Gage, Walker, Trivette! Get over here!" Syd beeped the car horn again to get their attention. Sydney was just about to win their fight when the man pulled out a knife and held it up menacingly.

She heard Gage yell, "Syd!" but couldn't see him.

The man approached her with the knife and Sydney took a step back, bumping into the car. Right when she was about to kick the knife out of his hand and lunged at her with the knife. Sydney was caught by surprise and screamed as the knife cut her arm. But then suddenly the man was gone. Sydney saw Gage tackling him and fighting him for the knife. As soon as he got a hold of it the masked man ran into a car the suddenly pulled to a stop in front of them. Gage tried to catch him, but he was already too far gone.

"Sydney," Gage asked, "you okay?"

"Yah, I'm fine." Sydney said as Gage helped her up.

"Syd!" he shouted

"What?"

"Your arm!"

Sydney looked down at her arm which from partially covered in blood from when he had cut her, suddenly the delayed pain and grasped her arm.

"Come on," Gage said, "we need to get you to a hospital."

Before Sydney could protest, Walker and Trivette came rushing out.

"Sydney!" Walker called, "Are you okay?!"

"She needs a doctor!" Gage answered.

"They're already on their way." Trivette answered.

Moments later the ambulance arrived.

"Guys, I'm fine." she tried to argue, "it's just a scratch."

"Are you kidding?!" Gage yelled, "You'll definitely need stitches at the least!"

Sydney rolled and eyes as she stepped into the ambulance with Gage.

It took hours to get the stitches and by the time they were done, Sydney was ready to rip Gage's head off.

"Relax!" Syd yelled at him, "I"m fine!"

Walker entered the hospital just soon enough to hear Syd yell.

He held his hands up in surrender and said, "Don't worry, I come in peace. Here's your tracker Sydney, put it on as soon as you can. Are you sure you don't want to consider going to the safe house?"

She gave him an evil stare and Walker surrendered,

"Okay, okay! It was just a suggestion."

They drove to the ranch where Gage had already dropped off his things.

Sydney was settling into the guest room when Alex came in and closed the door behind her.

"How you doing?" Alex asked softly.

"I'm fine!" Sydney said as calmly as she possibly could.

Alex laughed, "Don't worry, I wasn't asking about your arm. I mean how are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Sydney asked, puzzled.

"Sydney, you don't need to play it tough around me. You know that, right?" Alex asked as she sat down next to Syd on the bed.

"Yah." Sydney nodded.

Alex sighed. "Syd, being Walker's wife, I've been victim of this sort of thing countless times before. I know it's not easy, especially at the beginning."

"Thanks Alex, but I'm fine really. It's different for me than it is for you, I'm a Texas Ranger. It's my job to kick peoples' butts! I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Really?" Alex asked with one eyebrow raised, "You're telling me that this hasn't effected you at all?"

"Well . . ." Sydney said looking down at the ground, "I mean, of course I'm effected. It just isn't that big of deal."

"Sydney, look at me. Look at me in the eyes and tell me honestly that there isn't something bugging you."

When Sydney refused to look up Alex continued more softly, "Syd, talk to me."

Sydney looked up, with slightly watery eyes, and said quietly, "I'm not sure, I guess I just feel, I don't know, . . . almost weak. You know? I'm suddenly the victim in this sob story, usually this isn't the part I play. It just feels weird, everyone is treating me differently, even Gage. I know they mean well, but still, . . . things just don't seem right lately. And I guess that a small part of me is a tiny bit . . . scared of this guy. He's gotten pretty close, too close. I don't know how, but somehow he's managed to almost beat me. No one has ever done that before. And what if he gets to me when I'm alone, what if he gets away with what he wants to do . . . I don't know if I could survive that."

Alex wrapped her arms around Syd and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry," Alex whispered, "we won't let anything happen to you. We'll work this out. You'll see, it will be okay."

"Thanks Alex." Sydney said as she wiped her tears.

"Oh, and Alex?"

"Yes Sydney?"

"You won't, you know . . . tell anyone about this, right?"

"My lips are sealed, no one will ever know that the great Sydney Cooke is actually human with human emotions and has the ability to cry." Alex teased.

Sydney smiled, but Alex continued seriously,

"Sydney, you know it's okay to cry."

"I know." she answered.

Alex patted Sydney's shoulder and left the room. Sydney sat on the bed thinking about what Alex had said, maybe it was okay to cry. But only behind a closed door.


	9. Chapter 8

_Note From Author: I need more feedback!!!! If I don't get reviews on this chapter, it will be a long time before I update!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! (please)_

Sydney sat at her desk looking through files of any people she had put into prison who had recently escaped, but with no luck. Most of them were still in jail, except for one who was out on parole. But she was a woman.

"Sydney, Gage." Walker called.

Sydney got up and walked to Walker's desk.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I need you two to go downtown to this address," Walker answered as he handed them an address, "you're looking for an Andy Luther. Find out if he's been anywhere near the Franklin Bank lately, he's a suspected robber."

"We're on it." Gage said.

They drove downtown in complete silence. It wasn't until they parked that Gage broke the awkwardness, "So Syd," he said, "have you found anything on your stalker?"

"No." Sydney answered and then tried to change the subject, "But he hasn't tried to contact me in half a week, he might have given up."

Gage frowned but Syd continued, "Come on, we have some bad guys to catch."

They walked out the car and knocked on the door. It was a small, shabby place. A smelly, unshaven, man opened the door with a beer can in his hand. Obviously drunk.

"Whad you want?" he asked, his speech slurred.

Gage decided to skip the small talk and skip right to the point, "Have you visited the Franklin Bank in the past week sir?"

"Who wants to know?" he said.

"Texas Rangers, that's who." Sydney answered, "Are you Andy Luther?"

"Yes I am, Andy Luther the first. That's my name! Currently living in Dallas, single, and is looking for someone to drink with. Ya interested chick?" Andy then almost fell from his drunkenness and started to mumble something.

"Just answer our questions Andy, have you been to the Franklin Bank?" Gage ordered.

"Nah, I didn't rob it if that's what you're asking. If I did, don't y'all think I would have upgraded my house a bit?"

Sydney smiled, "We never said the bank had been robbed."

"Well, why else would you be asking me 'bout it?" he said, "But, if you want some information, I might got some. For a price."

"Oh really?" Gage asked, "What do you mean by a price?"

"Cold hard cash." Andy replied.

"Mr. Luther," Sydney smiled as she took a step forward, "perhaps we didn't make ourselves clear." She grabbed his arm and twisted it as he cried out in pain, "We are texas rangers. If you don't tell us what we need to know, you're under arrest for assisting a wanted criminal."

"Okay, okay!" he yelled.

Sydney let go of his arm and let him continue.

"There's this guy," he said, "goes by 'Lady's Man'"

Gage couldn't resist a laugh then, even Sydney chuckled.

"No, seriously!" Andy said, "You laugh now, but he means business. He is not the type of guy you want to make your enemy. He was talking about something big going down at some bank 'bout a week ago. He usually hangs out at the RoseGlam bar a lot. That's all I know. I swear!"

"Thank you Mr. Luther." Gage said coldly as they walked back to the car.

They began to drive to the RoseGlam bar.

"So," Gage said, "you haven't reconsidered the whole safe house idea?"

"No," Sydney laughed, "this guys hasn't shown himself in days. Besides, I might as well already be in hiding. I spend all my time either at work, or at Walker's. When I'm at the ranch I'm always with Walker or Alex. And when I'm anywhere else I'm always with you!"

"Ouch Syd, that hurts. And I did warn you, remember? I'm you're own personal babysitter." Gage smiled.

Sydney rollded her eyes as they reached the RoseGlam bar.

They walked into the bar and asked a waitress,

"Do you know where I could find, uh, the Lady's Man?"

"I might if you have the cash." she answered.

Gage reached into his wallet and handed her a twenty. She pointed to a man with his hood on in the back. They walked back their and Gage said,

"Excuse me, are you . . . the Lady's Man?"

The man took off his hood but instead of looking at Gage, he stared blankly at Sydney as he answered, "Maybe, do you have business for him?"

"Yes, our boss sent us with business." Sydney answered, frowning from how he was looking at her.

"Right this way." he answered.

He led them to a back room and said, "Lady's Man will be with you in a moment."

"Gage," Sydney whispered as the man left, "I think we've uncovered something a lot bigger than a robber."

Before Gage could answered a man with a large hood and sunglasses on entered the room.

"I am Lady's Man. Who's your boss." he asked, while staring at Sydney.

"Hello," Sydney said, "our boss is new in Dallas. He goes by . . . The Superior."

Gage looked at Sydney while he tried not to laugh, Sydney glared at him.

"Very well," Lady's Man said, "does he have good merchandise?"

"Drugs?" Sydney thought to herself as she answered, "Oh yes, very good. When we were stationed in Boston he was the go to guy."

"Do you have pictures with you?" he asked.

"Uh, no." Sydney said, trying to hide her confusion. "Sorry."

"How many do you have ready for shipment?" Lady's Man asked.

"Not too many, we're still unloading. About 20 I suppose." Gage answered.

"_Only_ 20, you say? I'm impressed, 20 is very good for most businesses of our kind."

"Yes, I suppose." Gage answered, confused as much as Sydney at this point.

"But I am a bit surprised," Lady's Man continued, "that a female would be part of this." He looked at Sydney skeptically.

"I'm tough enough to handle it." Sydney answered defensively.

"Tough isn't why I'm surprised," he answered, "I just didn't think that you'd be interested in doing this sort of thing to other women. Females in our line of work are very rare, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Suddenly Sydney realized what he was talking, he was a women slave trader . . .

"Yes, well," Sydney said, "I've always been a boy at heart."

Sydney glanced at Gage, who had just began to understand what they were talking about."

"If you don't mind," Gage said, "we'll have to reschedule this meeting. I just remembered about an important shipment coming in soon."

"Of course." Lady's Man said as they got up to leave.

Once back in the car Gage asked, "You know what they were, right?"

Sydney nodded, "Women slave traders."

"Sydney," Gage asked uncomfortably, "you don't think that your stalker is part of this group. Do you?"

"No, I seriously doubt it." Syd answered.

But as they drove back the office, Sydney couldn't help but wonder . . .


	10. Chapter 9

_Note From Author: Okay, you guys are really lucky! I know I said that if you didn't review I wouldn't post a new chapter, but . . . I'm such a softy!!! I didn't get any reviews from my last chapter, but I guess I was so excited when I finished this chapter that I couldn't wait to see your reactions! I know I probably should have made you suffer and made you wait for this chapter, but I'm too soft! I just couldn't bring myself make you wait for this very important chapter! Something big is happening in this one!!! But if I don't get reviews on this chapter I'll have to carry out my threats and not post another chapter for a long time!!! And this time I mean it!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy this chapter!_

Sydney and Gage were walking down the street chatting. They had already finished their lunch and they had over half an hour left of their lunch break, so they decided to take a walk in the beautiful weather.

"So have you thought about what I said?"Gage asked.

"You say a lot of things Gage," Sydney said, "you'll have to be more specific."

"Remember? The whole chivalry thing." Gage answered.

Sydney laughed, "Oh that! Gage, I've already told you. Chivalry is dead. Dead. It's nothing personal, it's just fact."

Gage frowned, "That's very stereotypical Sydney, not all guys are like that."

"I know that," she said, "but most guys are."

"But most isn't all," Gage smiled, "therefore, chivalry is dying. But not dead."

"You just don't give up, do you?" Sydney laughed.

"Never." Gage smiled.

But then Gage suddenly got very serious, "But Syd, seriously, you do know that I'm always here for you. As long as I'm still around, chivalry won't ever die. I promise."

Sydney smiled, "Thanks Gage, I'm here for you too. But if you don't quit the whole babysitter routine soon I may just have to run away from you!"

Gage laughed and asked, "So how much longer is Walker holding you captive?"

"Four more days," Sydney sighed, "he said that if I'm not contacted again by that time then it's probably safe. By the way, how's your new door?"

Gage had just gotten in his new door, after he had to knock down his old one.

"It's good." Gage said.

"You sure you don't want me to pay for it?" she asked, she still felt guilty about the whole thing.

"Trust me," Gage said, "if I wanted you to pay for it, you'd know."

They turned the corner and Sydney suddenly got the chills as they approached a dark alley.

"You okay?" Gage asked.

Before Sydney could answer three masked men appeared out of no where.

"Syd, look out!" Gage called as a man attacked him.

The other two tackled Sydney in a heartbeat. She reached for her gun but they grabbed it before she could get a hold of it. Normally she wouldn't have a problem fighting the two men off. But when they had tackled her she possibly broke her arm, and she was in a bad position to fight back since they had tackled her to the ground. They started to drag her to a nearby van.

"Gage!" Sydney cried, unsure if she would be able to fight them off, "I think they broke my arm!"

She continued to punch and kick, but it was as if they were made of steel. They continued to drag her until they were only a few feet away from the van.

Sydney knew they weren't far from ranger headquarters, so she tried to get someones attention. She screamed and yelled louder than she ever had before in her life.

"Gage!!! Walker!!! Trivette!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!"

One of her attackers let go of her arm to try to quiet her. This was just the advantage she needed. She punched him and he fell back. While being careful of her injured arm, she tried to fight off her other attacker. But the moment she managed to get him off of her the other man returned and grabbed her bad arm. As they opened the door of the van Sydney heard Gage yell,

"No! Sydney!!!!!!"

"Gage, help!!!" she cried as they tried to place her in the van. She saw Gage run towards her, with a rage in his eyes. She then heard Walker yell from afar,

"Put your hands up and freeze!!"

But it was too late, Sydney was in the van and the door was closing as Sydney screamed again. The three men got in and began to drive away. She heard Gage scream,

"Sydney!!!"

Syd knew she had to get away. She lept onto the driver despite the pain in her bad arm. The van swerved as the other men tried to tie Sydney up. The man slammed on the brakes and yelled,

"Get that crazy chic tied up!"

Sydney recognized the voice as Lady's Man.

She kicked and yelled as they attempted tie her up, she watched as Walker, Trivette, and Gage ran towards the car.

"Guys, help! Quick!" she yelled.

"We're coming Sydney!" she heard Trivette yell.

But she had been so distracted by them that her captors had managed to tie her up.

She continued to scream, hoping it would distract them long enough for Gage to get to her. But instead, they pulled out a wet cloth and held it over her mouth and noise.

She began to feel dizzy and faint as the car began to drive away. The last thing she heard before she blacked out was Gage's voice crying,

"Shorty!"

Then everything went black.

_Note From Author: please please please please don't forget to review!!! don't be afraid to be critical!!!! i want to hear your opinions!!!!_


	11. Chapter 10

_Note From Author: Thank you for the reviews! Sorry if this isn't the best chapter, I had to write it in a rush. My computer at home has been down all week and I have to use the school computers and they don't stay open too long after school. Anyway, please enjoy and review!  
_

When Sydney came to, her head and broken arm hurt like crazy. She groaned as she opened her eyes. She slowly looked around, it appeared she was in some sort of cellar. When she tried to sit up she realized that she was gagged, and tied at her hands and feet. Syd then realized that the room was very, very small with no windows. It was probably just a few yards bigger than a bathroom. There wasn't anything in the cement room except a door with a small window at the top that had bars on it.

Sydney pulled at her bonds but it caused her more pain than it did her good. She sighed and kicked the wall in frustration. She then heard voices and footsteps coming her way. She tensed and waited for the door to open. And it did.

In came two men. The first one Sydney recognized as Lady's Man. But the second wore a mask, the masked man said,

"Ah Sydney, you've finally come around I see."

Sydney recognized the voice, it was her stalker.

Sydney tried to yell but her gag prevented her from doing so. Lady's Man laughed sarcastically,

"Oh what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Her stalker said to him coldly,

"Leave us, I need to talk to Ms. Cooke in private."

Lady's Man frowned, but obliged.

The masked man approached Sydney and stroked her cheek, she pulled away but he just grasped her chin and pulled her closer.

"Ah Sydney," he whispered, "finally, we are together."

He took of her gag and she screamed at the tops of her lungs, "You'll regret this! I swear, there is no place on this planet you will be able to hide from me! When I,"

He cut her off by lifting up his mask half way and placing his lips on her open mouth, sticking in his tongue, and kissing her roughly. She tried to back away, but there was no where to back away to in the tiny room. Eventually he let her lips go and licked her ear gently as he whispered to her,

"Why on earth would I want to hide from you?"

She stared at him coldly,

"Trust me," she said, "you'll change your mind."

His body hardened and he answered cruelly,

"I highly doubt that, but even if I didn't want you anymore, you'd be beg for me to keep you. I could easily sell you to a bidder instead, and trust me, they wouldn't be nearly as nice I'll be to you. You'll learn to love me . . . and if not, well, too bad for you."

As he leaned in to kiss her again she kicked him in the stomach and fell backwards in pain. He lifted his hand and slapped her across the face hardly, causing her to then fall backwards in pain. Sydney cried out as she hit the cement floor and she felt blood trickle down her face.

"If I were you," her stalker yelled, "I wouldn't try that again. Ever."

He then stormed out of the room, locking the door behind him. And Syd just couldn't get the idea out of her head that she recognized his voice, not as her stalker, but as someone she once knew . . .

Sydney then carefully sat up as to not injure herself any further. But instantly a sharp pain flooded her injured arm, her fall had only made it worse. The blood on her face trickled down her chin and onto her shirt. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Then suddenly, she remembered Gage.

"Gage." she choked aloud.

She always acted so tough around him, but the truth was, he was what made her strong. He was her partner and best friend. Perhaps even . . .

"No." Syd thought, quickly shaking the idea out her head. She didn't have feeling for Gage, at least, not in that way. But then again, why was it she always felt a bit of jealousy whenever Gage had a date? And why did she care about him so much? And why did she miss him so much? Why did he suddenly fit the role of . . . her knight in shining armor? Maybe, just maybe, she was in love. Maybe.

That's when Sydney remembered Gage's promise,

"As long as I'm still around, chivalry won't ever die. I promise." he had told her.

"Oh Gage," Sydney thought to herself, "this is your chance to prove to me that chivalry still exists. Please, I need you."

Then she half sobbed out loud, "Gage, save me!"

But the pain on her face and arm were overwhelming her mind, she slowly drifted into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, I've been SUPER busy lately! I'll try to update my other story too, don't forget to review!_

"We have to do something!!!" Gage yelled. It had been hours since Sydney had been kidnapped and still no sign of her. They had followed up on their few leads but so far nothing.

"Relax Gage," Trivette said, "we'll find her."

"Maybe," Gage said, "or maybe we'll only find her body. The longer they have her the greater the chance something bad will happen to her. You know what this guys wants to do with her, every minute counts!!!"

"Gage," Walker said authoritively, "calm down. Sydney may be a woman but she's still a Texas Ranger. She can take care of herself. Remember when she was taken to Casa Diablo by the Ortega's? She escaped even before we found her. She'll be fine, I promise."

Gage took a deep breath and sighed, "You're right Walker, I'm sorry. It's just that she's my partner, you know? Plus I broke my promise to her."

"What promise?" Alex asked, as she had just walked in the room. "And where is she anyway?"

Alex had been out of town all yesterday and most of the day, so she still hadn't heard.

Walker approached her and gently said, "Alex, honey, this afternoon Sydney was kidnapped."

"Oh my God!" she cried.

"But don't worry, we'll find her." Trivette said.

"But what do you mean you broke your promise?" Alex asked.

"Well," Gage sighed, "we were talking and Syd said that didn't believe chivalry existed anymore. So I promised that I would prove to her it still existed."

"Oh Gage," Alex said sweetly, "you didn't break that promise! In fact, when you find her that will prove to her it's exists!"

Gage raised one eyebrow and said, "Are you telling me to go be her knight in shining armor or something?"

Walker chuckled and Trivette laughed, "Something tells me she's not going to like that too much."

As they laughed Trivette's phone rang and he answered it, when he put down the phone he said,

"We've got a lead on Syd."

Gage jumped out of his chair and ran out the door, with Walker and Trivette following closely behind. His only thought was,

"If it's the last thing I do, I will save you Sydney."


	13. Chapter 12

Gage slammed down the phone in frustration, he thought he had a lead but it ended just being a fake. The case was getting no where, and he knew that if he didn't act soon it would be too late. He sighed and looked out the window.

"How can it be so beautiful outside," he though in despair, "when everything is so horrible?"

The phone then rang again, he almost didn't answer it. He was too depressed to talk to anyone. But then he realized that it might be Walker with news on Sydney, he had gone out to question some suspects. Gage picked up the phone and answered,

"Ranger Gage speaking."

His mind went on instant alert when he heard the desperate voice on the other side of the phone,

"Gage! It's me, Sydney. Thank goodness I reached you."

"Oh my God, Syd!" Gage gasped, "Where are you? Are you okay?!"

Her voice broke when she answered, "I'm okay, for now."

Gage heard the fear in her voice,

"Do you know where you are?" he asked.

Sydney cleared her throat, attempting to regain her cool composure and answered,

"I'm at 92 Prospect Street, in the basement of an abandoned warehouse."

"I'm on my way!" Gage said, reacing for his car keys.

"Gage, wait!" Sydney half sobbed.

Gage froze, listening to her abnormally weak voice.

This time Syd answered with a slightly higher amount of composure,

"Gage, it won't be long before he catches me. I'm hurt, I'm not sure if I'll be here when you arrive."

"Syd," Gage begged, "don't talk like that. This will all work out. I promise. Remember the whole chivalry thing?"

Sydney half laughed, "Yah Gage, I remember. But sometimes chivalry isn't enough."

"Syd . . ." Gage whispered.

"Listen," Sydney said, "maybe you're right. Maybe we'll both be fine and we'll laugh about this conversation tomorrow. But just in case things don't work out that way, I need to say something."

Gage waited for her to continue but there was silence on the other end.

"Syd?!" he cried.

He heard her take a deep breath and continue,

"I just need to say, thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"Just, for being you. You're my best friend, I really care about you."

Gage smiled softly and replied,

"I care about you too."

Gage heard footsteps on the other end of the phone,

"Gage, I have to go." Sydney whispered with urgency in her voice.

"But!" Gage said, only to be cut off by Syd,

"Goodbye, Gage. I lo- . . . Bye."

Before he could get another word in, Sydney hung up the phone.

Gage raced out the door, ignoring the yells he got from nearby people. He told a fellow ranger to call Walker and Trivette and have them go to 92 Prospect Street. He then ran into his car and sped off to find Sydney, before it was too late . . .


	14. Chapter 13

_Note From Author: Sorry I had to post this twice, I noticed a big error in my first version! Sorry!  
_

Sydney hung up the phone when she heard footsteps approaching. She had begged her still unknown stalker for a bathroom break, and had managed to escape despite her injuries. She found a phone not far from where she was being held, she was so glad she had managed to talk to Gage. It had been two days Syd was kidnapped. No one had done anything more to her, . . . yet. Lady's Man had implied that they'd be moving soon. And her stalker had been getting more and more impatient to do, . . . the things he wanted to do with her.

Syd held her breath, praying that whoever was coming down the hallway wouldn't see her. Her prayers weren't answered. One of Lady's Man's men came around the corner and yelled,

"Hey! What are you doing here?!"

Despite the pain in her body that protested, Sydney got up and attempted to fight off her attacker. She was beginning to get the upper hand when Lady's Man came down and shouted,

"What's with all the commotion?!"

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that Syd had escaped. He roughly grabbed her arm and began to pull her back to her cell when he noticed the phone.

"You idiot!!!" he screamed at the other man.

He got out a walkie talkie and said into it,

"The girl escaped, I've got her now. But it looks like she called somebody."

The voice that responded distinctly belonged to her stalker,

"What?! Why I ought to . . . never mind. I'll deal with you later. Pack up and get ready go within five minutes."

Lady's Man shouted some orders at his employee and then began to tie up Sydney again. While tying her, he whispered in Syd's ear,

"It my boss didn't want you so bad, I'd kill you right now."

Sydney tensed slightly, but didn't respond. After her hands were tied behind her back he led her down the hallway towards a set up stairs. She winced quietly as he pushed against her bad arm, but continued moving, realizing that resistance was useless. He led her up the damp, dark stairs into what appeared to be a garage. There Sydney saw her stalker. Lady's Man handed Sydney to her stalker, who punched her . . . again.

"Do you know how much you've cost me?!" he yelled as Lady's Man walked away into one of the nearby trucks.

"That was the idea." she muttered.

"You've messed up everything!" he screamed.

"If I'm that bad, why don't you let me go?" Syd offered sarcastically.

His tone softened as he said,

"I'm sure you'd like that, but I have too much planned for us I'm afraid."

He then kicked her leg, near her knee, so hard it made a cracking noise. Sydney gasped as she fell to the ground, realizing he had broken her leg. He acted as if it was nothing and continued to push her along.

He began to push her towards the second truck when suddenly there was a loud yell from the other side of the garage. It was Gage.

"Hands up! Texas Rangers!" Gage yelled.

Suddenly the masked man holding her pulled her close to his body and held his gun to her head. Sydney tried to call out to Gage, but her stalker placed a piece of duct tape over her mouth before she could say anything. She watched Gage's face turn from aggression to fear. She made eye contact with him, trying to signal that she was all right and not to worry. But she accidentally cringed when she put some weight on her bad leg. Gage saw her pain and instinctively took a step forward, causing her stalker to yell,

"Not one more step! If anyone comes any closer she's dead! Got it?!!!"

Gage didn't say anything, but neither did he move again.

"Put your weapons down and keep your hands in the air!!" the man holding her yelled.

When Gage failed to comply, her stalker pushed the gun into her head roughly. Gage's face was filled with torn emotions. Sydney saw him look around the small garage, trying to find something that could help him. Syd noticed that there weren't any other ranger or officers with Gage. What was he thinking coming alone? She prayed that he had taken the time to call Walker or Trivette.

As her stalker pulled her towards a truck, Sydney realized that this was her last chance to escape. When he opened the door to the truck her loosened his hold on her as well as his grip on the gun. Syd took and chance and while trying to ignore the pain in her leg, kicked his hand with her good leg. The gun flew out of his hand and across the room. She saw Gage flash forward and after her stalker as he tried to make a getaway. The pain her leg and elsewhere was overwhelming at this point and Syd fell to the ground. She saw Walker's car pull up with him and Trivette. Walker chased after Lady's Man and his men while Trivette ran towards Sydney.

"Where are you hurt?!" Trivette asked in concern.

Sydney prayed there weren't any tear stains on her face as she answered,

"I'm mostly just bruised up, except for my leg and arm. I think they're broken."

Jimmy carefully touched her face where the dried blood was, as well as a growing bruise.

"I think you may have gotten a concussion here." he mumbled.

Just then Walker returned with Lady's Man and three out of six of his men.

"You okay Sydney?" Walker asked.

"I'll live." she answered, trying her best not to wince from the pain.

Jimmy took out his phone and she heard him say,

"We have a few prisoners here who need transportation to headquarters. . . Mmhmm, right away. . . . And also send an ambulance, we have a ranger down. Okay . . . bye."

Then Gage returned, attempting to catch his breath as he gasped,

"He got away!"

But Sydney didn't care at the moment, she was too caught up with the growing pain her leg, as well as the slightly, but only slightly numbed pain in her arm. Gage crouched down next to her and pulled her into an awkward and careful hug. Trivette, realizing they should be left alone, discreetly went to find Walker.

"You okay?" Gage whispered.

Sydney nodded and answered,

"Mostly just bruised up and a broken leg and arm."

"Told you I'd get to you in time." he whispered in her ear.

Syd smiled softly and replied,

"Thank you."

"You sure you're not hurt anywhere else?" Gage asked, unable to restrain his worrying.

Sydney shrugged and said,

"Trivette thinks I might have a concussion, but nothing too serious."

"Oh Syd," Gage said as he pulled her closer, "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

Sydney had managed to get a hold of herself by this point, so she answered with strength,

"It's okay Gage, seriously, I'll be fine."

Gage let go of Syd, looking slightly embarrassed. She suddenly felt guilty, afraid she had hurt his feelings. She wasn't trying to push him away, she just didn't think she could bare to let him see any more of her weak side than he already had. She smiled at him, trying to remove the tension.

"Can you help me up?" Sydney asked.

She was surprised when instead of merely supporting her weight, Gage scooped her carefully into his arms and carried her towards where the ambulance had just arrived.

"Why Gage," she laughed, "how very chivalrous of you!"

Gage smiled at the reference to chivalry, he was determined to convince her it was real. Gage asked the paramedics if he could ride in the ambulance with her and they agreed, to both their pleasures. The trip was quiet, but full of emotion as Gage held Sydney's hand as the paramedics began to work on her leg, arm, and head. She squeezed it to avoid the pain that ever growing, and he squeezed back.


	15. Chapter 14

_Note From Author: I know this story may seem like it's coming to an end, but trust me, there is soooo much left to come!!!!!! Please review!_

A day later Sydney sat in her hospital bed reading a magazine. Thankfully, her injuries weren't as bad as anticipated. She didn't have a concussion, but she did have a huge bruise! Her leg actually wasn't broken, but she would have to stay off it for a week. Her arm, unfortunately, was broken. But considering all things, she was doing pretty well. The doctor said that if her bruise on her head didn't get any worse than she could probably leave that night.

"Hey Gage." she smiled as he walked into her room.

"Hi Syd, how you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine, doc says I can leave tonight. Freedom!!!!"

Gage laughed and said,

"Gee Sydney, you make it sound like jail."

Sydney said very seriously,

"You try being cooped up her for over a day! It is jail! I swear, this is worse than being locked up in that cell!"

Gage however, did not think the joke was all that funny. They had failed to catch her stalker, and Walker believed that Sydney was still in danger.

"Gage," she moaned, "I seriously doubt that he's going to come after me again considering what happened."

"Oh really?" he challenged, "I happen to think otherwise. He's got to be pissed at us for getting his men. He'll be more desperate now than ever. He'll think that we've relaxed because we'll all be thinking exactly the way you are so at least he will think there'll be less security around you. Also, you're injured. You're a perfect target."

Sydney rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She didn't want to admit that Gage was right, she was still in danger. Just then Walker and Alex came in.

"Oh Sydney!" Alex exclaimed, it was the first time she had seen Syd since she was kidnapped.

"Where doesn't it hurt? I want to hug you there!"

Sydney smiled and leaned forwards to accept Alex's embrace. When she let go, Syd said,

"Hi Alex, Walker."

"How are you feeling?" Walker asked.

"Great!" Syd tried to assure them, even though she truthfully felt like crap.

"I don't mean to put this on you so soon, but we need to talk."

Sydney groaned, she had been expecting this.

"We've decided to put you in the safe house until this guy is caught."

"Don't I have a say in this?!" she complained.

"No." Gage answered bluntly.

"It's for your own good." Alex said comfortingly.

"Besides Syd," Gage teased, "I'll be in there with you! Just think of it, 24 hours a day of Gage!"

Sydney groaned VERY loudly just as Trivette came in.

"Is this . . . a bad time?" he asked nervously.

Walker laughed as he said,

"Come on in, it's safe. We just told Syd about the safe, and Gage just broke the news that he'll be staying with her."

Trivette grinned and answered,"That would explain it!"

"Guys, please! I don't need a babysitter!" Syd protested.

"You do, at least until you're healed." Walker sternly said.

Sydney groaned again but Gage just smiled and said,

"Don't worry Syd, it won't be that bad. After all, I'll be there!"

Before Sydney could open her mouth to say her comeback a nurse entered the room and said,

"Excuse me folks, but can you clear the room for a few minutes? I just need to run a few tests to make sure Ms. Cooke is healthy enough to return home."

Sydney laughed at the word "home". She knew she wouldn't be going home for a while. The nurse gently examined her head while Sydney sat perfectly still, trying not to think. Since she had been rescued she hadn't thought of anything that her heart was screaming at her to think about. She hadn't thought about the fear she had felt, the fear she still felt, the shame she had developed, the pain she had endured. And most importantly, she didn't think about . . . Gage. Ten minutes seemed t fly by in mere seconds and the nurse was soon out the door. Gage entered in as soon as she left and said,

"Hey Sydney, Walker, Trivette, and Alex left. They said to tell you goodbye."

Syd nodded but didn't say anything.

"Thinking about how I was trying not to think has actually made me think about the thinks I've been trying to think about." she thought silently. But she couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the ironic thought.

Gage looked at her, Sydney made the mistake of looking back and making eye contact. She quickly turned her gaze to a lamp as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. To occupy her time, she began to count the panels on the ceiling.

Gage sat down next to her bed and gently asked,

"Syd, you okay?"

"Mmhmm." Sydney answered without really hearing the question.

"Earth to Sydney." Gage chuckled and Sydney unwillingly snapped out of her avoidance of reality and looked at Gage.

He must have seen in her eyes that something wasn't quite right because he said,

"Sydney, you want to talk about anything?"

Sydney opened her mouth and then closed it, shaking her head, no.

Gage awkwardly reached for her hand and whispered,

"I'll be here to pick you up at 7. Kay?"

"See you then." Sydney said with false cheerfulness.

Gage frowned, but didn't press the matter. He got up and said goodbye as he walked out the door. Syd sighed, almost glad that she was gone.

"Why the hell am I acting like this?" she thought to herself.

She usually didn't act this emotional, she had no idea where this sudden burst of feeling had come from. True, her kidnapping experience had put a strain on her, but she had gotten over it. Although she had been terrified at first, Sydney had regained her confidence and banished her fears. Her stalker was no longer a problem for her emotional side.

"Why is it then I'm still acting this way?" Sydney asked herself.

She didn't understand why her heart felt like it was being ripped in two, why she felt like crying, and why she was so nervous.

She could find no answers to her dilemma. But she did find one . . . possibility. Gage.


	16. Chapter 15

Two days after leaving the hospital, Sydney sat in a foreign bedroom flipping through the channels on TV. Seeing that nothing good was on, she sighed and turned it off. Being stuck in the safe house was absolutely boring! As punishment for agreeing with Walker that it would be best for her to stay here, Syd avoided Gage as much as possible. Because of this, the house was often quiet and there was an awkward tension in the air.

Syd's stomach growled so she went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. There, she bumped into Gage who said to her,

"Come on Syd, talk to me."

She walked right past him to the fridge and he sighed. In the hospital she treated the idea of her staying in the safe house lightly because she was so sure that she would be able to convince Walker out of it. Little did she know it would be Gage who she truly had to convince. Once she realized that there would be no getting out of it, she began MISSION: REVENGE.

"Sydney, come on already. It's been two days!" Gage pleaded.

Syd continued to ignore him and avoided looking at him as she began to make her sandwich. In her rush to make the sandwich and flee to her bedroom, Sydney dropped the knife on the floor. She quickly bent down to get it, but was beaten by Gage who was already picking it up. As he handed it to her Sydney made a mistake, she looked at him.

When Syd looked at him, she couldn't help but smile. She wasn't really too mad at Gage, but he was the only one around she could take her frustration out on. Seeing her let down her guard and smile, Gage grinned,

"Want to watch a movie?"

Syd thought about ignoring him again, but decided against it. Spending time with Gage would probably make her time in hiding go by more quickly.

"Fine." she sighed, trying to hold back a growing grin.

They walked to the den and Gage plopped himself down on the big couch and asked,

"So what do you feel like watching?"

Sydney shrugged and went to look and see what the safe house had for movie selections. A few minutes later she broke out in laughter, Gage walked over to see what was so funny. He took one look at the movies and started cracking up too. The majority of them were little kid movies and cartoons such as Cinderella and Blue's Clues.

"So Gage," Syd asked while she continued to laugh, "what would you prefer? Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid?"

They continued to laugh for quite a while until they both caught their breath and looked at each other. There was a silence for a moment until Sydney said,

"Listen Gage, I'm sorry how I've been acting these past couple days. I've been dumb and-"

Gage interrupted her,

"It's fine Syd, don't sweat it."

She smiled at him and he smiled back. As they looked for a movie to watch, Syd thought to herself,

"This is what I love about Gage, he doesn't care when I screw up big. I can always be myself around him, good and bad, and not have to worry about anything. He forgives me in a second and doesn't know the meaning of the word 'grudge'. I don't know what I ever did to deserve such a great friend. He's so funny, and nice, and caring, and-"

Suddenly Sydney stopped her thoughts, she knew where they were getting. She knew she would get carried away and consider . . . possibilities. And considering those possibilities was not an option. Not yet.

They ended up watching Mary Poppins, laughing the whole way through. By the time it ended it was late, so they both went straight to bed. Sydney made sure to go right to sleep, she didn't want to give her mind a chance to think about the . . . possibilities. For the beginning of the night she slept calmly and dreamless. But then around midnight, she began to dream a horrible dream. A nightmare.

_SYDNEY'S NIGHTMARE:_

_Syd was running, she didn't know where or why, but she sensed that her life depended on it. Suddenly, her vision got more clear and saw that she had run into her office. She stopped running, it was deadly silent and dark._

_"Hello?" she asked, "Is anyone there?"_

_The eerie silence was making Sydney nervous, she reached for her gun only to have it vanish moments after she touched it. Syd bit her lip and whispered,_

_"Hello? Walker? Trivette? Alex? Gage? Is anyone there? Hello, anyone?"_

_She cautiously took a step forward and the room became flooded with light. She saw everyone sitting at their desks, they appeared to be waiting for her._

_"Sydney!" Trivette smiled, "Come on!"_

_"Why didn't you tell us the news?" Alex asked while grinning._

_"What news?" Sydney asked, taking a small step forward._

_"We're so happy for you and Gage, C.D. just called, he says congratulations."_

_"Guys, what's going on here?" Syd asked in confusion._

_"Silly!" Gage exclaimed, "Did you forget? We're engaged!"_

_"WHAT?!!!" Sydney yelled._

_She found herself backing away from the happy image of friends and back into the darkness. As she backed away she heard Gage cry out to her, _

_"Syd, come back, please!!! Chivalry is real! Give me a chance, I care about you! More importantly, I love you! And you love me!!!"_

_His voice slowly faded away as Sydney began to run out of the building unwillingly. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to return to that joyful image. She wanted to give Gage a chance._

_"Stop!" she yelled at her feet, "Turn around, please! I want to go back now! I was scared at first, but now I want to try! Stop running away, turn around!"_

_But her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, they continued to carry her out of the building. Then as she entered the dark city streets she felt the feeling that she needed to run, that her life depended on it. So she ran, she ran for what seemed like miles until she stopped abruptly. She felt eyes on her back, she reached instinctively for her gun only to remember that it had disappeared. She turned around, looking for a building to hide in. But she found that she was no longer in the city, but an empty field. She squinted, trying to something, anything. But all around her was blackness and silent. Panicking, Syd screamed,_

_"Help! Is anyone there! Please, anyone!! What's going on?! Where's the city? Where's Gage?!!! What happened to my gun?! Where am I!! Please, someone help me!!!" _

_The silence was then broken by a voice from behind Sydney saying,_

_"I'll help you."_

_Syd froze, she recognized the voice. It was the voice of her stalker. She spun around, but not fast enough. Out of no where her hands were magically tied behind her back and two strong arms pulled her further into the darkness._

_"Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed as she struggled._

_She kicked him, she stepped on his foot, she used every technique she had ever learned as a Ranger to escape. But his grip seemed to be as strong as metal. He spun her around to face him and then punched her, causing her to fall backwards. She began to crawl away from him but she felt a muscular hand grab onto her ankle._

_"No" she screamed, "Let me go! Somebody help me!! Gage, Walker, Trivette?! Somebody, anybody?! Please, HELP!!!! Gage! Gage where are you!!!! Help!!!!"_

_She then began to scream, not words, but merely screams. Then she felt a tugging on her shoulders, and a distant voice from above crying,_

_"Shorty?! Are you all right?! Sydney wake up! Syd! It's okay, it's just a dream. Wake up!"_

_Then suddenly the darkness became light._

_END NIGHTMARE_

She opened her eyes, jumped up, and gasped for breath as she breathed felt her forehead covered in sweat, and that her mouth and throat was particularly dry. Syd then realized that she was not alone. She looked next to her and saw a very concerned Gage standing in only sweatpants.

Syd opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, for she was still out of breath. Gage remained silent for a couple of seconds until he asked,

"Do you need a glass of water?"

Sydney nodded slowly and watched him disappear. He returned in a few minutes, this time carrying a cup of iced water.

Syd drunk it eagerly as she regained her composure. She finished the glass in a matter of minutes, then placed it on the table next to her bed.

"Are you okay?" Gage asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Yeah," she assured him, "I'm fine now."

"So did you have a nightmare or something?"

"Yeah," Sydney answered, "how'd you know?"

Gage smiled slightly and laughed, "I think everyone within a five mile radius knows."

Syd looked at him in confusion and he explained,

"You were screaming you head off in you sleep."

She blushed and whispered,

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it." Gage assured her, "So, . . . what's was your dream about?"

Sydney shrugged, embarrassed by her dream.

"Come on, tell me." Gage said as he sat down at the foot of her bed.

"Well, . . . it was about a couple of things."

"Such as?" Gage asked.

She shrugged again.

"Come on Syd, you can tell me. It might help you get back to sleep, nightmare free, if you tell me what happened."

"Well, I was running, but I don't know why." Sydney began.

Gage nodded, urging her to continue.

"Then I was in the office, and everyone was there. Then . . ."

"Then what?" Gage asked softly.

"Then, I . . . it was so happy and bright in there. I wanted to stay. But for some reason my feet pulled me back outside, then it became black. Pitch black and absolutely silent. I was yelling for help but no one was answering. That is, until . . ."

Syd stopped, unable to gone because her eyes were filling up with tears. She looked up at Gage, who seemed unsure of how to respond. He, like the world, was not used to seeing Sydney cry. He awkwardly placed his hand on hers and nodded. She took a deep breath and continued,

"Then suddenly my stalker showed up, earlier on my gun had disappeared into thin air so I unarmed. He overpowered me, I couldn't get away, his arms were like steel. I was so scared, I fell and he grabbed my ankle. I started screaming and then . . . I woke up."

It was silent for a moment, then Gage whispered,

"Don't worry Syd, I won't let him get to you."

Sydney half let out a sob, then wiped away her tears and said to Gage,

"It's okay Gage, I'm not that scared. It was just a nightmare."

"Yah," Gage replied, "but sometimes dreams reflect our innermost feelings, whether we recognize them or not."

"Maybe." she mumbled, "So what was I saying in my sleep?"

"Mostly just screaming," Gage answered, "you were calling for help and . . ."

"And what?" Syd asked curiously.

"And," this time it was Gage's turn to blush, "you were yelling my name."

"Oh." Sydney said, blushing as well. "Well, you know, you're my partner and everything. I just probably thought of you first because we've been spending so much time together lately."

Gage nodded and agreed,

"Yah, that's probably all it was."

They were both silent for a few minutes, for they were both trying to convince themselves that that was why Sydney had been calling his name.

"You don't have to worry, as long as I'm here, he's not getting anywhere near you." Gage whispered.

Sydney smiled at him and said,

"Thanks Gage, well, I'd better get back to bed. I'll be okay now, thanks."

Gage then hugged her, and she hugged him back, in need of some support. Then as he walked out of her room he added,

"Syd, if you ever need me, I'm here."

"I know Gage, thank you." she whispered back as he departed to his own room.

It didn't take long for Sydney to fall back asleep, but before she did, she thought to herself,

"I wonder what would have happened, . . . if I told Gage all of my dream? If I told him, . . . that we were engaged?"


	17. Chapter 16

_Note From Author: I know that this chapter is REALLY short (even for me!) and I apologize. But this chapter is important for you to see inside Sydney's mind. Also, I'm not sure to go where next! But don't worry, I'll posting another (hopefully longer) chapter soon! Please review!_

Five days after Syd had her nightmare her leg was healed, though her arm was still in a cast. Since she had apologized to Gage, she had been finding that the long days in hiding were passing much more quickly and becoming less torturous. Thankfully her nightmare had been a one time occurrence, she had spent the last five days sleeping peacefully and calmly.

Walker had come once to check up on them. Sydney had tried to ask him how long she would have to stay at the safe house. Though things were getting better, Syd didn't think she could possibly stay in hiding for too much longer. Walker had refused to give her a straight answer, but he did imply that it wouldn't be any time soon. To both Walker and Gage's surprise, Syd didn't push the matter. She knew it would get her nowhere, Walker wasn't going to budge. Sydney didn't want to make her experience any more excruciating than it was already, so being upset about it was useless.

Syd felt strange most of the time, she barely recognized herself. Overall, things were good. But mentally, she was not herself. Sydney wasn't used to not having anything to do and she was immensely bored! She spent some time with Gage, she watched TV, exercised a bit, and cooked. Besides that, she didn't have much to do. It was giving her too much time to think, Sydney didn't like to think.

It was hard to describe how she was feeling. It was almost like . . . empty. Like she was living, but wasn't really living. Almost in a zombie state. Syd tried to avoid contemplating about her feelings, this helped a little. But not thinking about her feelings didn't get rid of her feelings. Since her feelings were constantly being ignored and abandoned, she had no idea what emotions were flying around inside her emotional storm.

As her storm built, she tried to push it away even more: creating her empty feeling. Sydney didn't know what she was feeling. It could have been fear of her stalker. It could have been simply boredom from staying in hiding, or maybe frustration. Perhaps confusion for her dream, and for Gage. Maybe anger, for being treated as a victim. Or denial, denying the fact that in truth, she was a victim. Or maybe even a greater fear . . . a fear of her own emotions.


	18. Chapter 17

_Note From Author: Sorry the long wait! I've been going through a tough time lately and temporarily lost my urge to write, and it doesn't help that I have a major writer's block! But I owe it to you to update, especially since it's been a month! Sorry! Please review!_

Syd yawned as she woke up and the morning light shined through her window. She turned her head to the wall and looked at the calender, ten days. Ten days since she had entered the safe house with Gage. She sat up in her bed and stretched. Sydney was enjoying spending her time with Gage, but it was beginning to get very boring and rather awkward. Walker, Alex, and Trivette had visited for the day two days before hand, she had forgotten how much she missed them!

Sydney was growing impatient and was looking forward to leaving soon. Unfortunately, Walker wanted her arm to heal before she was released from "jail". But considering how long that would take, Syd was sure she could break Walker down soon. Or at least, she hoped she could!

She stood up and walked over to the connected bathroom. She looked in the mirror and frowned at her bed head and began to brush it out. She was wearing nothing but a pair of short shorts and a navy blue cami because the nights had been getting hotter and hotter as July began. A few days ago she had caught Gage without his shirt on in the den, he didn't see her though. For some reason, she was very happy and bubbly the rest of the day. Syd deemed it a coincidence. As she was combing out her hair she heard a creek,

"Gage must be up." she thought smiling.

She walked out of the bathroom and headed to her closet to pick out and outfit when she heard a creek again, this time closer. Sydney strained her ears and found the creek to be unfamiliar, it sounded heavier than Gage. She tensed slightly and proceeded to her closet door, which she found ajar. Sydney bit her lip, wondering if she was being paranoid or not. With her arm still in a cast, she was forced to be overly cautious. But she didn't want Gage to think she was a scaredy cat!

Syd took a step again towards her closet and stopped when she felt a slight breeze from behind her. But when she turned around, no one was there. She decided she was being paranoid and went to her closet. After picking out an outfit she turned around to see a masked man less than a foot away approaching her.

Before she could respond in any way what so ever he lunged at her and placed his hand over Sydney's mouth. She dropped her clothes to the floor and tried to push him off. But he had back her up into a corner, leaving her no room for leverage to aid her escape. She tried to punch him with her good arm but he deflected it and pulled out a gun. He pulled her close to him, keeping his hand over her mouth, and had her facing the corner which she once stood in. He held the gun to her head and whispered in her ear in an unfamiliar voice,

"Stay silent and don't fight me or you'll be getting a bullet to the head."

Sydney nodded, while secretly looking for a way to escape. While continuing to hold her close to him, he led her to the door quietly. She complied, and the grip on his gun and her slowly lessened. Syd took the opportunity she had been waiting for by grabbing the man's wrist who was holding her and twisting it around while simultaneously kicking him in the perfect spot, causing him to drop his gun.

As soon as she was free from his grip she knew she had to make an instant decision while he was still distracted by his pain. Fight, or run. Taking one look at her cast she knew her decision was made. For the first time in Sydney Cooke's life, she ran.

She ran to the door while screaming,

"Gage! Gage get out of bed! Someone is in the house, he has a gun! Wake up! I need help! Quick!"

She had made it out the door and into the hallway and was beginning to run to Gage's door when she felt a strong arm grab her wrist.

"GAGE!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the intruder punched her, causing her to fall to the floor just a few feet in front of him.

A mere second later she saw Gage's door open and him race out in a panic with a gun in his hand.

Syd made brief eye contact with him, but it was broken by the intruder pulling her off the floor and pushing her against the wall with his gun in her back.

"Let us through!" he yelled at Gage who was blocking the way to the stairs.

"I don't think so." Gage said with unexpected calmness considering his scared facial expressions.

The intruder grabbed Sydney by the hair and pulled her towards him again and placed the gun on the top of her head.

"I said," the intruder told Gage, "move. Or else shorty here will get it."

Sydney watched as Gage's fear turned to anger as the intruder called her 'shorty'. That was his special nickname for her, she pretended to hate, but truthfully she loved it when he called her that.

Gage took a step forward, but was stopped by a sudden gunshot.

Syd cringed and closed her eyes, expecting pain to come. But she felt nothing,

"Am I dead?" Sydney asked herself.

But her fears of being dead were abolished when she heard the intruder say,

"Next one goes through her heart, I swear. Now move it! I'll kill her!"

Syd opened her eyes to see a bullet hole in the floor next to her feet. She looked up at Gage, who's face of anger had once again turned to fear and desperation. Not knowing what else to, Gage placed his gun on the ground and backed up against the wall.

"That's more like." mumbled the intruder as he dragged her towards the stairs.

But Gage surprised them by backing away from the wall right as they were about to pass them. Leaving Sydney less than three inches away from him. She looked up into his big blue eyes only to be pulled away by the intruder and pushed behind the intruder. Leaving the intruder in between her and Gage.

"Move." the intruder stated.

"Fine," Gage said, "but only if you take me with you."

Sydney's mouth opened in shock. What was he thinking?!

"Ha!" the intruder laughed, "And why the hell would I do that?"

"Because," Gage answered, "if you don't, I won't move."

"Then I'll just shoot the girl." the intruder challenged.

"Yes, but then there won't be anything to stop me from attacking you and you'll be as good as dead."

"Well . . . why do you want to come in the first place?"

"Because, where she goes I go."

"I was hired to bring one, not two. I could be killed!"

"Well, if you don't, I'll kill you."

"Not happening."

"Listen, I swear I won't try to escape or cause any trouble."

"Yah right!"

"I"m serious, I just don't wanted to be separated from my partner."

"Hm, well . . . fine. You could be useful, the boss could use you as . . . an incentive for Ms. Cooke here."

"Gage don't!" Syd cried, only to be resulted in a kick in the stomach from her intruder.

"Hey!" Gage yelled.

"Shut up!" the intruder yelled, "Move it!"

He gestured his gun towards Gage, and the three of them made their way down the stairs . . .


	19. Chapter 18

"Gage!" Sydney hissed, "What were you thinking?!"

They were both tied up in a van and blindfolded. Thankfully they hadn't been gagged, so they could talk quietly.

"I was thinking that technically I am responsible for your safety considering that I'm the security at the safe house! You are the victim in this situation, and Walker told me to stay with you while you are in hiding. And that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Gage threw back at her.

"Gage," Syd whispered, "since when do you you care about technicalities?!"

There was an awkward silence for a moment until Gage whispered more softly this time,

"Fine, I won't speak technically. Because non-technically I wanted to go with you as well. You're my partner Syd. It's so hard not knowing where you are or if you might be hurt. I'd rather go down with you than not know anything. Besides, I can look out for you more if I'm with you."

There was silence for a moment and Sydney regretted yelling at Gage.

"Gage," she whispered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. I just don't want you to get hurt too."

"Don't worry Syd," Gage reassured her, "neither of us will be getting hurt. In fact neither us are going much further."

"What do you mean?" Sydney asked with confusion. She knew Gage had something up his sleeve, she just didn't know what.

She felt Gage lean towards her as he whispered even more quietly,

"You'll see. Just be ready."

Sydney nodded, but then she remembered that they were both blindfolded.

"Okay." she whispered.

"Hey!" their captor yelled, "You two be quiet back there or else I'll shut you up myself!"

They both grew silent, wondering where they were being taken. Syd could tell they were on a rarely used road; it was bumpy and felt unpaved. She thought she heard running water. They must be near a river.

Suddenly she felt a pair of hands on her wrists which were still secured behind her back. She instinctively tried to pull away, but then she felt the hands untying her bonds. Then she recognized the hands touching her wrist. They belonged to her partner, Gage.

Once her arms were free he whispered so quietly she could barely hear him,

"Keep your blindfold on and pretend you're still tied up till it's time. You'll know when."

"Okay," Sydney whispered just as quietly.

She was nervous but excited at the same time. Her apprehension grew as the minutes rolled by. Roughly ten minutes later she felt Gage touch her leg. He didn't say anything, but she knew it was time.

Suddenly Gage went into a huge coughing fit.

"What's going on back there?" their captor called.

Between loud coughs Gage choked, "Ca- Can't breathe!"

The man stopped the van and turned around to look at them,

"What do you mean ya can't breathe?" he asked.

The man looked unsure of what to do so Syd decided to give him a little push in the right direction.

"Please! You have to do something! I think he might be choking!"

"On what?" the man asked.

"I don't know! I don't know what's happening to him! All I know is that I won't cooperate at all if he dies! Maybe he's having a heart attack! I swear, if he dies you won't be safe no matter where you go!" Sydney yelled.

"All right, all right! Cool it chick! Let me take a look at him."

As the man stepped into the back of the van Gage stopped his fake coughing fit and lunged at him. The man, unprepared, fell back and hit his head on the steering wheel and instantly blacked out.

"Quick thinking Gage," Sydney complimented him as she removed her blindfold.

"I still can't believe he actually fell for that!" Gage said while flashing her his famous smile.

Together they pulled the man out from the front and dumped him into the back of the van. Sydney looked out the window and saw she was correct; they were in the middle of the woods near a small river.

"Where do you suppose we are?" she asked Gage.

"Don't know, I guess we'll just have to follow the road back and hope we don't get lost." he told her.

Suddenly they heard a movement from the back of the van. They both turned around and saw that the man was gone. Then an even louder noise made them both jump. It sounded like hissing. Syd looked around to see if there was a snake nearby but saw none. She then focused her mind on the more pressing matter.

They both ran out of the van and saw him running into the woods, already far away. Gage was about to race after him when suddenly something caught his eye. Underneath the front seat lay a gun. He pulled it out from under the front seat and yelled, "Freeze! Come back here or I'll shoot!"

But the man had already taken cover behind the many trees and was no longer visible. Gage wanted to go after him but Sydney said, "He's not worth it. Let's just get back."

They both climbed back into the van and Gage started the engine. But they only got a few feet forward before the car slowly stopped.

"What on Earth?" Gage muttered as he walked out of the van.

After a quick look over it became apparent that their captor had stuck a sharp rock into the tire causing a flat. Unfortunately there we no spares.

"Just great." Gage sighed, "Looks like we'll be walking home."

"Seriously?" Sydney groaned.

Gage nodded and searching the van for anything useful and coming up empty handed, they began to walk.

"We probably should walk on the edge of the woods, that way if someone comes down the road looking for us they won't find us. At least not right away," Syd suggested.

"Good idea," Gage said and they both walked into the forest, following the road.

"You know Gage," Sydney said with a frown, "I can't help but feel like I know this guy."

"The guy who grabbed us?" Gage asked.

"Nah, I'm talking about my actual stalker," Syd replied.

"Oh," Gage said, "So do you have any idea who?"

"No, that's the problem! He seems so familiar, but I can't put my finger on him," Sydney sighed.

"Do think he's someone we've put away?" Gage asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"A distant relative?"

"No."

"Someone you knew when you were growing up?"

"Nope."

"Maybe someone we've worked with before?"

"No, I don't think he's a dirty cop."

"Well, what about-"

"Gage!" Syd laughed, "I honestly have no idea what so ever who it is! You can quiz me all you want, but it won't help!"

Gage laughed and replied, "Sorry Syd, I just really want this guy put away behind bars where he belongs."

"I know," Sydney said softly, "so do I."

"We will catch him Syd," Gage told her, sensing her hopeless mood.

"I know," Syd said, "I just don't know when."

"Soon Shorty, soon."

Sydney just smiled when he called her Shorty instead of yelling at him like she usually did.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I just do," Gage replied quietly.

She smiled at him and he smiled back. As a cold breeze blew at them Sydney shivered. Gage moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. In return, she put her arm around him too. And together, they walked down the road with a silent understanding.


	20. Chapter 19

Sydney shivered again and Gage held her tighter. Although it was summer it seemed to be particularly windy outside. Gage guessed they had gone up a hill somewhere on the drive and were elevated. But it seemed they had driven further than he guessed because they still hadn't found any downhill routes. He looked at Sydney, who was only dressed in shorts and a cami. He could visibly see the goosebumps on her skin. He wished he had something to give her but he also was still in his pajamas, sweats and a t-shirt.

They had spent the first ten minutes talking casually before falling into a long silence. They were both tired, not only because they had been walking barefoot for quite a while, but also because they hadn't gotten a whole night's sleep before they were captured.

Syd was the once to break the silence when she asked, "So, how long have we been walking for?"

"Don't know," Gage answered, "at least 45 minutes. Maybe an hour."

Sydney sighed, "We weren't driving for too long, were we?"

Gage frowned. To him it had seemed they were on the road for about twenty minutes. But they still hadn't come across anything familiar. Perhaps it had been longer than they remembered? Or maybe he had forgotten a turn they took and they were lost. He just didn't know.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Syd asked as if reading his thoughts.

"Maybe not," Gage admitted, "I thought I had routed out all the turns in my head but I may have been mistaken. Honestly, we could be anywhere right now."

Syd sighed and looked towards the ground, that's when she gasped, "Gage! What happened to your foot?!"

Gage looked down and sure enough his right foot was covered in blood. He frowned and answered, "I don't know. Wait a second."

He sat down on the ground and looked at his foot. There was a long and deep scrape on the bottom of it that was probably caused by a rock or root.

"Wow," Gage muttered, "I can't believe I didn't feel that."

"Feel what?" Syd asked.

She leaned forward and gasped again as she saw the bad cut.

"Gage! How have you been walking all this time?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, "I didn't feel anything and I still don't."

"That's not good," Syd frowned, "your foot is numb. I hope you don't get an infection."

Gage shrugged; he wasn't worried about it considering he couldn't feel a thing. He stood up, ready to walk again, but was stopped by Sydney's stern expression.

"What?" he asked obliviously.

"Your foot! There's no way you should be walking on that!" she reprimanded him.

"But I have to! What if that guy reaches wherever he was trying to take us and sends people after us? We need to get as far away from here as possible!"

Sydney opened her mouth to protest but frowned when she realized he was correct.

"Fine," she pouted, "but you have to at least wrap something around it. You don't want more dirt getting in that; it will increase your chances of infection."

Gage agreed and looked for something he could wrap it in. Sydney, who was barely clothed as it was, didn't have anything to offer. He ended up ripping of a sleeve from his t-shirt and wrapping it around his foot.

"There, happy?" he asked her.

"No," she answered, "but it will do for now."

He smiled as they walked on. Though they had exited the woods, they were still on a dirt road. If it weren't for the telephone lines nearby he would have thought they were in the middle of nowhere! As they continued to walk Gage noticed that the land was becoming slanted and they were walking downhill. _Thank goodness, _he thought, _maybe now the wind will die down a bit._

Not only did the wind die down, but the road turned to pavement. He smiled at Sydney and she smiled back. They both knew they were getting closer to civilization. God how he loved her smile!

Suddenly he saw something that made him want to jump for joy. A highway!

"This is great!" Sydney exclaimed.

Although the roads were empty, the both knew it wouldn't be long before they came across someone or something useful. And they were right! Ten minutes down the road they came across a telephone booth.

"Syd," Gage called over to her as he walked towards the telephone, "see if you can find some change on the ground. There has to be some somewhere! A few minutes later Syd returned with $2.25 in change. Gage took the quarters he needed and called Walker.

After a few rings Walker answered, "Hello, Ranger Walker here."

"Walker!" Gage sighed in relief, "Man am I glad to hear your voice!"

"Gage!" Walked said with relief too, "Where have you been! You missed your check in call. Trivette and I were practically on our way to come and check on you."

"We had a little, . . . visitor this morning," Gage told them.

"What happened?" Walked asked.

Gage continued to tell them the events of the morning, how they had escaped, and that they were currently somewhere on a highway.

"Is anyone hurt?" Walker asked.

"No, we're fine." Gage said.

But Sydney, who had overheard, grabbed the phone from Gage and said,

"Actually Walker, Gage is hurt. When we were taken we had just gotten up and didn't have any shoes on. While we were walking Gage stepped on something and has a really bad cut. His foot in entirely numb and I think it might be infected."

"Okay, tell him to stay off it for now," Walked ordered.

"Will do," Sydney agreed while smiling triumphantly at Gage who was making a face at her.

"Where are you now?" Walked asked.

"Honesty, I have no idea! There's nothing written on the telephone box and there's no signs for miles. I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Okay, wait a minute and I'll trace the call."

A few minutes later Walker told her, "Okay, I have a trace. Trivette and I our on our way. Stay put and we'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay, bye Walker."

"Bye Sydney."

After hanging up she told Gage, "Walker will be here twenty minutes. Now stay off that foot!"

Gage smiled and complied, sitting down on the pavement. Syd was soon sitting by his side looking more peaceful than she had in days.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after seeing her dazed look.

"Just about the craziness of the last few weeks," she told him.

"You seem pretty happy to be thinking about kidnapping, fighting, and constant danger!" Gage joked.

"I know," she smiled, "but still. These past few weeks haven't been all bad."

"Of course not!" Gage agreed, "That's because you've spent most of it with me!"

"Yeah," she sarcastically agreed, "spending time with you will brighten anyone's day."

She was quiet for a moment before continuing, "But seriously, it's been kind of nice."

Gage didn't ask if she was talking about the past weeks or spending time with him. He didn't need to ask because he already knew the answer.

"It has been nice," Gage agreed.

She looked and smiled at him, he returned it willingly. God how he loved that smile of hers! They remained happily silent for fifteen minutes, just enjoying being together. _I wonder when it was that I first fell in love with her?_ Gage asked himself. He suspected that he had loved her since the day they met, but he had only just recently realized it. Their silence was broken by the sound a car speeding towards them. Syd stood and said, "That must be Walker."

Gage began to stand up but stopped as he watched Sydney's face become overcome with horror.

"Quick Gage," she yelled pulling his arm, "run! That's not Walker!"

Her last words were drowned out by gun shots. They ran off the road and onto the grass but found that there were no trees to take cover behind. The gunfire stopped as the car came to a screeching halt and five men climbed out of it. They were all armed, masked, and heading straight towards them.

Gage pulled Sydney behind him and prayed for a miracle. They soon received one. For no sooner than the men had began walking towards them did a descending helicopter approach them. Gage watched as Walker jumped out of the helicopter and was closely followed by Trivette. They quickly distracted four of the men, much to Gage's relief. But the fifth man was running towards Syd and him. Gage rushed forward to attack before he could attack them. He quickly got the man disarmed and on the ground. But that changed when he felt a searing pain in his foot. The man kicked him to the ground and went for his gun. Gage was sure he was doomed, until Syd stepped in.

As she phrased it, she saved his butt. Even when injured she could sure fight like hell! Before Gage was fully off the ground she had already won the fight.

"Thanks Syd," he said as he limped towards her.

"I take it your foot isn't numb anymore?" she asked.

He grimaced and nodded as the walked towards Trivette and Walker who had placed handcuffes on their attackers.

"Perfect timing!" Gage thanked them.

"You two all right?" Trivette asked.

"Well, I'm fine, but Gage's foot has gotten worse," Syd told them.

Gage nodded and continued, "I can barely walk on it."

"Come on," Walker said as they walked to the helicopter, "let's get you to the hospital."

After they were all buckled in the pilot started the helicopter and they were on their way to civilization! Finally! Walker put his coat around Sydney's bare shoulders which she accepted gratefully.

"How are you feeling Syd?" Gage asked.

"I'm fine," she answered, "it's you we should be worrying about!"

"Wow," Gage commented, "not even noon and look at the day we've had!"

Sydney looked at Trivette's watch and then corrected him jokingly, "Actually, it's five after noon."

Gage looked at Trivette who shrugged and laughed, "Sorry man, you can't deny the truth!"

Gage chuckled as Syd stifled a yawn.

"You've had a long day, why don't you rest?" Gage asked.

Sydney nodded and leaned against him. It didn't take long for her to become fast asleep. Gage watched her peaceful, beautiful face as she slept against him. He wished they could stay like this always. He looked at her and whispered so no one could hear, "Sweet dreams Shorty."


End file.
